Decoloring apparatus

ABSTRACT

A decoloring apparatus includes a reading section that reads the image formed on a sheet and generates image data corresponding to the read image. A decoloring section decolors the image formed on the sheet. If the reading section reads only a portion of the image formed on the sheet due to an error, the image data corresponding to the read portion of the image is stored. After the error is resolved, the sheet is conveyed to the reading section again to read a remainder portion of the image that was not initially read in the reading section and to generate image data corresponding to the remainder portion of the image. The image data corresponding to the read portion of the image is combined with the image data corresponding to the remainder portion of the image.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No.14/570,807, filed on Dec. 15, 2014, the entire contents of which areincorporated herein by reference.

FIELD

Embodiments described herein relate to a decoloring apparatus.

BACKGROUND

Conventionally, paper on which an image is formed with decolorable toneris heated and subjected to decoloring processing in a decoloringapparatus to decolor the image thereon. In addition to a heat source forcarrying out the decoloring processing, the decoloring apparatus alsoincludes with a reading device which reads the image formed on the paperbefore the paper is subjected to the decoloring processing. The readingdevice may also determine whether or not the image on the paper isdecolored after the decoloring processing.

However, there is a problem with such an arrangement. In a case in whichthe reading operation is stopped due to an error and the like before thepaper which is not yet subjected to decoloring processing is readcompletely, part of the paper is decolored due to the relation betweenthe length of the conveyance path and the paper position, and the papercannot be stored correctly.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a schematic arrangement of a decoloringapparatus according to an embodiment;

FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example hardware configuration of animage forming apparatus;

FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating an automatic paper feeding and readingsection;

FIG. 4 is a flowchart illustrating an example sequence of operations forimage combination processing;

FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating an example of a portion of an imagebeing partially read before a stop;

FIG. 6A is a diagram illustrating an example of stored data of theportion of the image that was partially read before the stop;

FIG. 6B is a diagram illustrating an example of stored data of a portionof the image read after a re-reading processing;

FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating an example of the stored data of theportion of the image read before the stop and the stored data of theportion of the image read after the re-reading processing;

FIG. 8A is a diagram illustrating an example of lengths of the portionof the image read before the stop;

FIG. 8B is a diagram illustrating an example in which the data read ofthe portion of the image before the stop is combined with the data readof the portion of the image after the re-reading processing;

FIG. 9A is a diagram illustrating another example of the stored data ofthe portion of the image read before the stop and the stored data of theportion of the image read after the re-reading processing; and

FIG. 9B is a diagram illustrating an example of a combination of thedata of the portion of the image read before the stop with the data ofthe portion of the image read through the re-reading processing.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

In accordance with one embodiment, a decoloring apparatus comprises apaper feed section configured to feed a sheet on which an image isformed with decolorable material to a conveyance path, a reading sectionpositioned on the conveyance path and configured to read the imageformed on the sheet and to generate image data corresponding to the readimage, a decoloring section positioned on the conveyance path downstreamof the reading section in a document conveying direction and configuredto decolor the image formed on the sheet, a paper discharge sectionconfigured to discharge the sheet after the decoloring section hasdecolored the image, and a control section configured to perform controlto, in a case in which the reading section reads a portion of the imageformed on the sheet due to an error: after the error is resolved, conveythe sheet to the reading section again to read a remainder portion ofthe image that was not initially read in the reading section and togenerate image data corresponding to the remainder portion of the image,and combine the image data corresponding to the read portion of theimage with the image data corresponding to the remainder portion of theimage.

Hereinafter, the embodiment is described in detail with reference to theaccompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a schematic arrangement of a decoloringapparatus according to one embodiment. FIG. 1 exemplifies an imageforming apparatus 10 provided with an image forming section and adecoloring section. FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example hardwareconfiguration of the image forming apparatus 10.

The image forming apparatus 10 includes an automatic paper feeding andreading section 50 and an image forming section 100. A control section150 provides overall control of the image forming apparatus 10. Thecontrol section 150 includes, as main portions, a CPU (CentralProcessing Unit), an ROM (Read Only Memory), a RAM (Random AccessMemory), a nonvolatile memory and the like (none is shown). The ROMstores various programs according to which the CPU executes processingto realize each function of the image forming apparatus 10. The RAM isused as a work memory for temporarily storing various data generatedwhen the CPU executes the programs. The nonvolatile memory stores userinformation and various kinds of setting information which need to bestored even if the power source is turned off.

The image forming apparatus 10 may be an MFP (Multi-Function Peripheral)which has a scanning function, a copy function, a printing function andthe like. The scanning function refers to reading a document opticallyto acquire image data. The copy function refers to reading an original,and printing and outputting a copy image of the original on imagereceiving paper based on the image data acquired through the readingprocessing. The copy function further refers to printing and outputtingan image obtained by rasterizing printing data received from an externalterminal on paper.

The image forming apparatus 10 further has a decoloring function fordecoloring an image which is printed on a document with decolorabletoner serving as decolorable agent to reuse the paper as printing paper.The decoloring function refers to heating a document to decolor theimage formed on the document.

The automatic paper feeding and reading section 50 includes an automaticdocument conveyance section 11, a reading section 13 and the like. Theautomatic paper feeding and reading section 50 further includes adecoloring section 20.

The automatic document conveyance section 11 includes a paper feedsection 111, a conveyance section 34 and a paper discharge section 112.The automatic document conveyance section 11 has a function ofseparating and feeding, one by one, a document set on a document tableand conveying the document to a paper discharge position through aconveyance path passing through a given reading position. The automaticdocument conveyance section 11 is described later.

A control panel 12 includes a display section 122 and an input section121 which consists of various keys. The control panel 12 displaysvarious kinds of information such as the setting information and theoperation status of the image forming apparatus 10.

The input section 121 includes, for example, a numeric keypad forinputting the number of printings, a FAX number, an ID number, a mailaddress and the like, a scanning key, a copy key, a facsimile key, amail sending key, a paper selection key, a start key and the like.Further, the input section 121 may include, for example, input keys forinputting numbers, a keyboard, a mouse, a touch panel, a touch pad, apen tablet, a dedicated button and the like.

The display section 122 may include, for example, an electronic paperdisplay, an LCD (Liquid crystal display), an EL (ElectronicLuminescence) display and the like. Further, the display section 122, ifconfigured as a touch panel display, can realize all or part of thefunctions of the input section 121.

The reading section 13 is a general image reading device arranged in animage sensor copier or an image scanner and the like. The image formingapparatus 10 is used when copying an original or reading a document. Thereading section 13 is one example of an input section of printingdocument. In addition, the reading section 13 can receive a documentcreated in, for example, a PC serving as an external terminal and printthe document as image data.

The decoloring section 20 is positioned on the conveyance path 34 forconveying the document in the automatic document conveyance section 11.The decoloring section 20 has a function of heating paper printed withdecolorable toner to decolor an image formed on the paper. Thedecoloring section 20 is described later.

The image forming section 100 consists of the control panel 12, aprinter section 16, a paper feed section 17, a conveyance section 18, apaper discharge section 19 and an image storage section 151 and thelike.

The image storage section 151 is a nonvolatile high-capacity storagedevice used for storing image data read by the reading section 13 andthe like. Herein, the image storage section 151 may be, for example, ahard disk device with an associated controller.

The printer section 16 includes an exposure device 161, a transfersection 162, non-decolorable toner 163 and decolorable toner 164 and thelike. The printer section 16, which serves as an image forming section,includes a laser exposure device and the like. The printer section 16processes the image data read by the reading section 13 or the imagedata created by a PC and the like, and forms an image on paper P. Thepaper on which an image is formed by the printer section 16 isdischarged to the paper discharge section 19.

Herein, a “decoloring processing” is carried out on a paper to decolorthe image formed with the decolorable toner 164 serving as a decolorablematerial on the paper. The decolorable material includes a colorgeneration compound, a color developing agent and a decoloring agent.For the color generation compound, for example, a leuco dye can be used.For the color developing agent, for example, a phenol group can be used.For the decoloring agent, a substance which combines with the colorgeneration compound when being heated, and furthermore, does not haveaffinity with the color developing agent can be listed. The decolorablematerial generates a color through the interaction of the colorgeneration compound and the color developing agent, and as theinteraction of the color generation compound and the color developingagent is eliminated by the heating above a decoloring temperature, thecolor of the decolorable material is decolored. In addition to thedecolorable toner, decolorable ink may also be used as the decolorablematerial.

In addition, the “decoloring” in the present embodiment refers to makingthe image (which is formed in a color including not only chromaticcolors but also monochromatic color such as white color, black color andthe like) that is different from the background color of the paper,invisible or hard to see. Herein, in addition to decoloring the imageformed in a color different from the background color of the paper,“making the image invisible” further includes changing the image formedin a color different from the background color of the paper to a colorwhich is the same as or approximately the same as the background colorof the paper.

The exposure device 161 scans, in an axis direction of a photoconductivedrum (not shown) rotating through a polygon mirror, a laser beam whichis emitted from a semiconductor laser device and is modulated accordingto the image data. An electrostatic latent image is formed on thephotoconductive drum by irradiating the photoconductive drum with thelaser beam.

An endless intermediate transfer belt for carrying out intermediatetransfer of the electrostatic latent image on the photoconductive drumis arranged inside the transfer section 162. The image transferred tothe intermediate transfer belt is further transferred by a transferroller 21. A driving roller 22 provides tension to the intermediatetransfer belt and also drives the intermediate transfer belt.

Further, a conveyance path 18—including a separation roller 23 forpicking up the paper P from the paper feed section 17 and a registerroller 24—is arranged to extend from the paper feed section 17 includinga paper feed roller to the paper discharge section 19 including a paperdischarge roller.

The paper P picked up by the separation roller 23 is conveyed to asecondary transfer position between the intermediate transfer belt andthe transfer roller 21 through the register roller 24. A secondarytransfer voltage is applied to the paper P through the transfer roller21 when the paper P passes through the secondary transfer position. Thetoner image on the intermediate transfer belt is secondarily transferredto the paper P.

A fixing device 25 is arranged at the downstream side of the transfersection 162 in the direction of paper conveyance by the register roller24. The paper discharge section 19 is arranged at the downstream side ofthe fixing device 25. The paper P on which the toner image is fixed bythe fixing device 25 is discharged to the paper discharge section 19. Inaddition, in a case of double-sided printing, the paper P is reversedthrough a reversal conveyance path (not shown) and guided towards thedirection of the transfer roller 21.

In a case in which an image is formed on the paper with the decolorabletoner 164, the paper is discharged to the paper discharge section 19 aspaper Pr through the same processing carried out in a case of printingwith the non-decolorable toner 163.

The automatic document conveyance section 11, the reading section 13 andthe decoloring section 20 are further described with reference to FIG.3.

The automatic document conveyance section 11 separates and conveys, oneby one, a plurality of documents P or documents Pr on which images areformed with the decolorable toner set on the document table 31, andreads and discharges the document P or the document Pr. The automaticdocument conveyance section 11 includes the paper feed section 111, theconveyance section 34, the reading section 13 and the paper dischargesection 112.

The paper feed section 111 includes the document table 31 and a feedroller 32 which separates and feeds, one by one, the documents P placedon the document table 31 in order of the topmost document.

The conveyance section 34 indicated by a dashed arrow shown in FIG. 3conveys the document P fed by the feed roller 32 towards a paperdischarge tray 33 via a reading position F1 of the reading section 13.

The conveyance path 34 includes, for example, a guide wall (not shown)arranged along the conveyance path 34, a plurality of pairs ofconveyance rollers 34 a and conveying-out rollers 34 b arranged atappropriate places to nip the document from the front and back side ofthe document, a contact roller 34 c for pressing the document from theback side to contact the document with the reading position F1, and aconveyance motor (not shown) for driving the conveyance roller 34 a, theconveying-out roller 34 b and the contact roller 34 c.

The conveyance path 34 is a sideways u-shaped path starting from thedocument table 31 and ending at the paper discharge tray below thedocument table 31. The reading position F1 is a little more downstreamthan the bent portion of the U-shape. A slit 34 d is arranged at theguide wall of the conveyance path 34 at the reading position F1. Thereading section 13 reads the document through the slit 34 d.

The decoloring section 20 has a heating position F2 for heating thedocument at a temperature at which the decolorable material isdecolored. The decoloring section 20 is arranged on the conveyance path34 at a given position at the downstream side of the reading position F1for reading the document conveyed on the conveyance path 34.

The decoloring section 20 includes, for example, a heat roller 20 aprovided with an electric heater for generating heat throughelectricity, and a conveyance roller 20 b. The heat roller 20 a ispositioned by a mechanism which displaces the heat roller 20 a to aposition P1 during heating process and to a position P2 duringnon-heating process. For example, the mechanism includes a spring formoving the heat roller 20 a towards the paper non-contact position P2,and a solenoid which moves, when energized, the heat roller 20 a to thepaper contact position P1 against the force of the spring. The papercontact position P1 of the heat roller 20 a is indicated by a solid lineand the paper non-contact position P2 is indicated by a dashed line.

Whether to move the heat roller 20 a to the paper contact position P1 orthe paper non-contact position P2 is set according to the control of thecontrol section 150. The energization of the heat roller 20 a can becarried out by interlocking with, for example, the movement to theposition P1 or P2 based on the control of the control section 150.

The document Pr is heated by the heat roller 20 a positioned the papercontact position P1 while passing through the decoloring section 20. Inthis way, the image on the document Pr can be decolored.

The paper discharge section 112 includes the paper discharge tray 33 anda paper discharge roller 34 e for discharging the paper conveyed on theconveyance path 34 to the paper discharge tray 33.

Further, the automatic document conveyance section 11 includes aswitchback path 38 shown by an arrow indicated by one dotted line forreversing the front and back side of the document passing through thereading position F1 and conveying the document to the upstream side ofthe reading position F1 again. The switchback path 38 includes a guidewall forming the passage of the document and a switching lever 39 forswitching between conveyance paths of the document. Generally, theswitching lever 39 is urged by a spring to a position (shown by a solidline) at which the front end thereof is lifted up a little, and duringenergization, the switching lever 39 is moved to a reversal position(shown by a dashed line) at which the front end thereof is pushed downthrough a solenoid against the force of the spring.

A jam sensor 9 for detecting a paper jam during the conveyance processof the document P or the document Pr is arranged on the conveyance path34 of the automatic document conveyance section 11. The detectioninformation of the jam sensor 9 is supplied to the control section 150.The jam sensors 9 are arranged at a plurality of positions so that thejam of the document P or the document Pr can be detected regardless ofthe jam position.

In addition, in a case of an automatic document conveyance section 11provided with no switchback path 38, the conveyance roller 20 b of thedecoloring section 20 is also used as a heat roller equipped with adisplacement mechanism, which can cope with decoloring the paper on bothsides of which images are recorded with the decolorable toner.

In this way, the automatic document conveyance section 11 conveysdifferent kinds of paper such as the document P to be printed and thedocument Pr. In a case of a document P, printing operation is carriedout on the document P with the non-decolorable toner 163 or thedecolorable toner 164 based on the image data read by the readingsection 13. Whether to carry out printing with the non-decolorable toner163 or the decolorable toner 164 is selected through the operation onthe control panel 12 by an operator.

Moreover, in a case of the document Pr, the image on the document Pr isdecolored based on an operation set in the control panel 12 by theoperator. The decoloring of the document Pr is carried out by moving theheat roller 20 a to the heating position P1 and heating the document Prconveyed on the conveyance path 34. The document Pr subjected todecoloring processing by heating is discharged to the paper dischargetray 33. The discharged document Pr can be reused as the printing paper.

However, as shown by the conveyed document Pr shown by a thick line inFIG. 3 on which an image is formed with decolorable toner, the precedingpart of the document Pr is passing through the decoloring section 20,while the trailing part of the document Pr includes a part which haspassed through the reading section 13 and a part which is to passthrough the reading section 13. The document Pr in this state can bedivided into three parts, that is, a part already subjected todecoloring processing, a part subjected to reading processing and a partto be subjected to reading processing. That is, the document Pr that islonger than a distance L between the reading position F1 and thedecoloring position F2 is in a state of extending from a position behindthe reading position F1 to a position in front of the decoloringposition F2 (refer to FIG. 3).

A document image data correction method in a case in which a readingerror occurs due to paper jam before the reading processing is describedwith reference to FIG. 4-FIG. 9.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart illustrating an example sequence of operations forread image data restoring processing, i.e., image combinationprocessing, in a case in which a reading error occurs.

The document Pr is set on the document table 31 and the decoloringoperation of the document Pr is carried out through the control panel12. The control section 150 drives the paper feed section 111 and theconveyance path 34 of the automatic document conveyance section 11 tofeed the document Pr (ACT 1).

The document Pr is conveyed to the reading section 13 on the conveyancepath 34, and the content thereof is read by the reading section 13 (ACT2).

Next, the document Pr is conveyed to the decoloring section 20, and theheat roller 20 a is moved from the paper non-contact position P2 to thepaper contact position P1 to heat the document Pr to carry outdecoloring processing (ACT 3), and then processing proceeds to ACT 4.

In ACT 4, it is determined whether or not the jam sensor 9 detects apaper jam. In a case in which the jam sensor 9 detects a paper jam (YESin ACT 4), processing proceeds to ACT 5.

In ACT 5, the reading processing by the reading section 13 and thedecoloring processing by the decoloring section 20 are stopped, and thenprocessing proceeds to ACT 6.

In ACT 6, it is determined whether there is no document Pr at theposition of the decoloring section 20. If it is determined that there isno document Pr at the position of the decoloring section 20 (YES in ACT6), the jam processing or the sheet discharge processing is carried out(ACT 7), and then the processing is ended. In addition, in ACT 7, adisplay processing is executed to urge the operator to carry out the jamprocessing Or the sheet discharge processing, however, the displayprocessing may be carried out through an alarm.

FIG. 5 shows an example of the reading state and the decoloring state ofthe document Pr in a case in which it is determined to be NO in ACT 6,i.e., the document Pr is at the position of the decoloring section 20.An area Ta of the document Pr indicates a portion the document Pr thathas passed through the decoloring section 20 and has been subjected toreading and decoloring processing. An area Tb indicates a portion of thedocument Pr that has been subjected to reading processing by the readingsection 13, and an area Tc indicates a portion of the document Pr thathas not been read by the reading section 13 yet.

In ACT 6, if it is determined that there is a document Pr at theposition of the decoloring section 20 (NO in ACT 6), the control section150 stores the image data which has been read so far in the imagestorage section 151 (ACT 8).

FIG. 6A shows the areas Ta and Tb, i.e., the portions of the document Prthat has been read by the reading section 13 before the stop due to thejam. In addition, the images of the read areas Ta and Tb are convertedinto data and stored in the image storage section 151. FIG. 6B shows theareas Tb and Tc of the images which are re-read by the reading section13 after the first reading processing is stopped and a re-readingprocessing is performed. The images of the re-read areas Tb and Tc areconverted into data and then stored in the image storage section 151.The re-read area includes the area Tb which is not decolored and hasbeen read and stored, and the image data of the area Tb (which has beenread twice) is used in the image combination.

After the jam processing of taking out the document Pr which is beingread is carried out (ACT 9), ACT 1 is performed again to re-feed thedocument Pr which was decolored halfway.

In ACT 4, if no paper jam is detected (NO in ACT 4), ACT 10 is performedto determine whether the decoloring processing of the document Pr iscompleted. If it is determined that the decoloring processing is notcompleted (NO in ACT 10), processing proceeds to ACT 4. For example, thedetermination on whether the decoloring processing is completed iscarried out by determining whether the document Pr has passed throughthe decoloring section. That is, if the jam sensor 9 detects that thedocument Pr has completely passed through the decoloring section, it isdetermined that the decoloring processing is completed.

In ACT 10, if the decoloring processing is completed (YES in ACT 10),ACT 11 is performed to determine whether there is a plurality of storedimage data.

In ACT 11, it is determined whether there is a plurality of image datastored in the image storage section 151. FIG. 7 shows stored images ofthe image data read before the stop and the image data re-read after thejam processing.

In ACT 11, if it is determined that there is a plurality of image data(as shown in FIG. 7) in the image storage section 151 (YES in ACT 11),ACT 12 is taken. In ACT 12, a processing is carried out to combine theimage data read before the stop and the image data re-read after the jamprocessing. An example of the combination of the plurality of image datashown in FIG. 7 is shown in FIG. 8A and FIG. 8B. The right half part ofFIG. 8A shows the areas Ta and Tb read before the stop. The left halfpart of FIG. 8A shows the areas Tb and Tc re-read from the same documentafter the stop.

That is, the image date corresponding to the areas Ta and Tb read beforethe stop is stored as, for example, the image data of the first 200lines from the front end of the document Pr. Further, the image datacorresponding to the area Tc re-read after the jam processing is storedas, for example, the image data of the lines after the 200th line fromthe front end of the document Pr.

In ACT 12, the control section 150 carries out a processing ofgenerating image data obtained by combining the image data of the first200 lines from the front end and the image data of the lines after the200th line stored in the image storage section 151, and then processingproceeds to ACT 13 to store the combined image data in the image storagesection 151 and thereafter to ACT 7.

In ACT 11, in a case in which there is not a plurality of image data inthe image storage section 151 (NO in ACT 11), processing proceeds to ACT13 to store the image data read in ACT 2 in the image storage section151, and then processing proceeds to ACT 7.

In this way, in a case in which a jam or the like occurs during thereading process of the document which is being subjected to decoloringprocessing, the read image data corresponding to the partially readportion is stored. After the jam is corrected, the re-reading of thedocument is carried out, and an operation of combining the re-read imagedata with the image data that had been read before is carried out. Inthis way, the image data of the decolored area and the image data of thearea which is not yet decolored can be combined.

In the present embodiment, even if an error occurs in the decoloringapparatus during the image reading process, the image data which isdecolored and the image data which is not decolored yet can be combinedafter the decoloring apparatus is restored again. In this way, even in adecoloring apparatus in which the distance between the reading sectionand the decoloring section is shorter than the length of the smallestpaper that can be used in the present embodiment, it is possible tocarry out the restoration of the image data when the error occurs, whichcontributes to downsizing the decoloring apparatus. In addition, the“reading error” in the present embodiment is not limited to the errorcaused by the sheet jam. For example, the “reading error” includes areading error that the sheet reading operation is interrupted during thesheet reading process due to the communication failure, a reading errorthat the sheet reading operation is stopped during the sheet readingprocess due to the turning-off of the power supply, and the like.

FIG. 9A and FIG. 9B are diagrams illustrating another example of theimage data read before the stop and the image data re-read after thestop.

Image data 9A1 in FIG. 9A represents the image data read before the stopand image data 9A2 represents the image data re-read after the stop. Theparts of image data where the image data 9A1 is consistent with theimage data 9A2 are collated and overlapped through image processing togenerate new image data shown in FIG. 9B.

It is exemplified in the present embodiment that the decoloringapparatus is arranged in the automatic document conveyance section 11.However, the present invention is not limited to this, and thedecoloring apparatus according to the present embodiment may also bearranged in the printer section. Further, it is also applicable that thedecoloring apparatus according to the present embodiment arranged inanother housing separately connected with the image forming apparatussuch as the MFP and the like.

While certain embodiments have been described, these embodiments havebeen presented by way of example only, and are not intended to limit thescope of the invention. Indeed, the novel embodiments described hereinmay be embodied in a variety of other forms; furthermore, variousomissions, substitutions and changes in the form of the embodimentsdescribed herein may be made without departing from the spirit of theinvention. The accompanying claims and their equivalents are intended tocover such forms or modifications as would fall within the scope andspirit of the invention.

What is claimed is:
 1. A decoloring apparatus, comprising: a paper feedsection configured to feed a sheet on which an image is formed withdecolorable material to a conveyance path; a reading section positionedon the conveyance path and configured to read the image formed on thesheet and to generate image data corresponding to the read image; adecoloring section positioned on the conveyance path downstream of thereading section in a document conveying direction and configured todecolor the image formed on the sheet; a paper discharge sectionconfigured to discharge the sheet after the decoloring section hasdecolored the image; and a control section configured to perform controlto, in a case in which the reading section reads a portion of the imageformed on the sheet due to an error: after the error is resolved, conveythe sheet to the reading section again to read a remainder portion ofthe image that was not initially read in the reading section and togenerate image data corresponding to the remainder portion of the image,and combine the image data corresponding to the read portion of theimage with the image data corresponding to the remainder portion of theimage.
 2. The decoloring apparatus according to claim 1, wherein thecombination of the image data is carried out by combining the firstthrough Nth lines of the image formed on the sheet which are included inthe image data corresponding to the read portion of the image data withthe Nth+1 through last lines of the image formed on the sheet which areincluded in the image data corresponding to the remainder portion of theimage data.
 3. The decoloring apparatus according to claim 1, whereinthe combination of the image data is carried out by collating a part ofthe image data corresponding to the read portion of the image with anoverlapping part of the image data corresponding to the remainderportion of the image.
 4. The decoloring apparatus according to claim 1,wherein the conveyance path is configured to convey the sheet to animage forming section for forming an image.
 5. The decoloring apparatusaccording to claim 1, further comprising: an image forming section forforming an image with decolorable toner and an image forming section forforming an image with non-decolorable toner, wherein the image formingsection and the decoloring section are housed in the same housing. 6.The decoloring apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the decoloringsection is provided with a movable heat roller which can be moved to aposition to press the sheet passing through the conveyance path duringdecoloring processing.
 7. The decoloring apparatus according to claim 6,wherein the heat roller is energized and heated only during thedecoloring process.
 8. The decoloring apparatus according to claim 6,wherein the heat roller is moved to the position to press the sheet onlyduring the decoloring process.
 9. The decoloring apparatus according toclaim 1, wherein the controller combines the image data corresponding tothe read portion of the image with the image data corresponding to theremainder portion of the image in a case in which only a part of thesheet is decolored by the decoloring section.
 10. The decoloringapparatus according to claim 1, wherein the distance between the readingsection and the decoloring section is less than the length of thesmallest sheet that can be used.
 11. A method of decoloring in adecoloring apparatus that includes a reading section positioned on aconveyance path and configured to read the image formed on the sheet andto generate image data corresponding to the read image, and a decoloringsection positioned on the conveyance path downstream of the readingsection in a document conveying direction and configured to decolor theimage formed on the sheet, the method comprising: conveying a sheet onwhich an image is formed with decolorable material to the readingsection and the decoloring section; decoloring at least a portion theimage formed on the sheet with a decoloring section positioned on theconveyance path downstream of the reading section in a documentconveying direction; determining that, due to an error, the readingsection has read a portion of the image formed on the sheet; storing theimage data corresponding to the read portion of the image; after theerror is resolved, conveying the sheet to the reading section again toread a remainder portion of the image that was not initially read in thereading section and generating image data corresponding to the remainderportion of the image; and combining the image data corresponding to theread portion of the image with the image data corresponding to theremainder portion of the image.
 12. The method according to claim 11,wherein the combination of the image data is carried out by combiningthe first through Nth lines of the image formed on the sheet which areincluded in the image data corresponding to the read portion of theimage data with the Nth+1 through last lines of the image formed on thesheet which are included in the image data corresponding to theremainder portion of the image data.
 13. The method according to claim11, wherein the combination of the image data is carried out bycollating a part of the image data corresponding to the read portion ofthe image with an overlapping part of the image data corresponding tothe remainder portion of the image.
 14. The method according to claim11, wherein the conveyance path is configured to convey the sheet to animage forming section for forming an image.
 15. The method according toclaim 14, further comprising: conveying the sheet to the image formingsection which is configured to form an image with decolorable toner andto form an image with non-decolorable toner, wherein the image formingsection and the decoloring section are housed in the same housing. 16.The method according to claim 11, further comprising moving a movableheat roller a position to press the sheet passing through the decoloringsection during decoloring.
 17. The method according to claim 16, whereinthe heat roller is energized and heated only during decoloring.
 18. Themethod according to claim 16, wherein the heat roller is moved to theposition to press the sheet only during the decoloring process.
 19. Themethod according to claim 11, wherein the image data corresponding tothe read portion of the image is combined with the image datacorresponding to the remainder portion of the image in a case in whichonly a part of the sheet is decolored by the decoloring section.
 20. Themethod according to claim 11, wherein the distance between the readingsection and the decoloring section is less than the length of thesmallest sheet that can be used.